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The Hamptons Union, January 17, 1918

Hampton News

Mrs. Oliver H. Godfrey was called to attend the funeral of an elder sister Mrs. Anna F. Chase, at Concord Junction Mass., on Wednesday of this week.

Miss Elizabeth Norris has left town for a trip to Texas. Miss Laura Norris will make her home at Chester Marston's.

The W.C. T. U. will meet with Mrs. Alvin True on Friday, instead of Mrs. Norton's.

Those who visited the Beach during the recent rough weather were impressed with the wonderful power of old ocean to destroy in a short time what man has labored long to build. It was a wonderful sight to see the large flocks of white Gulls.

The seventeenth annual meeting of Dist. No. 5, I. O. O. F., will be held at the hall of Rockingham lodge, No. 22, of Hampton, Friday evening, Feb. 1st. The second degree will be conferred by Rockingham Lodge. The grand master and grand secretary are expected to be present, and we hope for attendance of other grand officers. In conformity with the wishes of the food administrator no fourth meal will be served after the work. But between the hours of 7:30 and 8:30 a supper will be served to which every member in the district is cordially invited. This supper will come during the recess of the lodge and when work is resumed promptly at 8:30, Degree Master Stevens, will be ready with the second degree. The grand officers will then address the meeting. Everyone in the district is urged to attend as this is the one important gathering each year and is held for the express purpose and benefit of the subordinate lodges in the district, that they may have an opportunity of hearing the grand officers and important information and instruction, which is hardly possible to disseminate in any other way.

The Mothers' Circle held it first meeting of the year at the home of the new president, Mrs. Edward Brown. At this time it was voted to change the evening of the meetings from Monday to Wednesday. Mrs. Edgar Howe will entertain the circle at its next meeting, Jan. 23. It is hoped that by that date the new program will be ready for the members.

Mrs. Wood, in her lecture Sunday night told this incident. A woman in this state refused with warmth to sign the Hoover pledge card. Later she wrote to the state office saying " I have two boys in the hayfield. I propose to feed them." In absence of Mrs. Wood from the office of Mr. Wood wrote as follows: "Dear Madam: - I am glad that your two boys are in the hayfield, but suppose one was somewhere in France, would you not rearrange your home dietary so that the boy over there could be fed?" Mrs. Wood said that in this war for humanity every boy who is fighting our battles over there so that the war may not have to be fought over here is one of our boys and we must take such steps as are necessary to release from our supplies the food he needs. It does not matter whether it can be done with saving of money to us or not. Whatever it costs of money expenditure of deprivation to us it must be done. We have said much and said well that this world must be made safe for democracy. The preliminary steps already taken in Food Conservation have been an experiment to determine whether democracy is safe for the world, in other words, will we, the people, who pride ourselves that we are able to rule ourselves, take pains to see clearly the situation and then compel ourselves to the necessary action or must we all suffer the arrest of martial law and incur the enormous expense and the shame of police inspection of every larder that we may be kept from hoarding for ourselves and starving our fighting brother and losing the war to the Prussian autocracy? Can we and will we rule ourselves and prove democracy safe for the world in such a crisis as this or must we confess defeat and invoke autocracy to compel us to be sensible? Mrs. Wood made a great gain for a real safe democracy by her speech of Sunday night.

The State Tax Commissioner has recommended the Town account to be closed Feb. 1st instead of Feb 15. All 1917 taxes should be paid before that date.

Joseph Kelly the linotype operator at the office of the Hamptons' Union who lives at Amesbury had a difficult journey to his home Tuesday evening. After a wait of several hours for a car the start was made and the tedious difficult journey commenced. The car succeeded in getting a little beyond the railway bridge when Mr. Kelly returned to Hampton Village on another car and sought lodging at the Echo House. He was refused admittance on the plea that all beds were occupied which no doubt was correct as many other passengers had sought refuge at this hostelry. Mr. Kelly had no other option but to walk home to Amesbury, the road was an uneven surface of glare ice and it was between three and four o'clock in the morning when he reached Amesbury, thoroughly exhausted from the strenuous walk.

Fire which for a time threatened to sweep the entire summer cottage section of the Boar's Head section of Hampton Beach Tuesday afternoon destroyed the home of Geo. Dudley Dodge, at one time Prohibition candidate for Governor of New Hampshire, and the summer cottages of John Robinson, Lowell furniture dealer, and George Marsden a Lawrence man. The loss is more than $10,000.

The three houses, all two-story structures, were grouped. Only with the greatest difficulty did the Hampton and Hampton Beach fire department keep the flames from spreading further. The fire started in the closed Marsden cottage, ignition for a defective electric wire, it is believed.

The sympathy of the Union is extended to Mr. Dodge who has been an occasional contributor to the Union for many years. Mr. Dodge has taken up residence with his daughter Mrs. Andrews at Hampton Falls.

The eighteen miles of New Hampshire coast presents an appearance different to anything that has been before seen. A large section of the mile long bridge at the mouth of the Hampton River has been swept away and the shore and the marshes are piled high with huge blocks of ice. Every creek is fenced with immense block of ice standing one edge and making a most remarkable picture.

The cause of the unusual conditions is the remarkable winter which we have experienced. The intense cold of December froze the ice in the creeks to a depth that had never occurred at this season before.

This was followed by a more moderate temperature and the high tide on Saturday. When the tide came it forced huge cakes of ice against the piles of the bridge which were broken off like pipe stems. William Locke who is in charge of the structure realizing the danger telephoned to Haverhill to summon assistance, but the break came before it was possible for any aid to reach the bridge if there could have been prevention possible in any event.

When the tide commenced to go out the large volume of water piled the great blocks of ice on the marshes by the creeks and carried a section of the bridge to sea. Six hundred feet of the bridge was carried away and the loss is estimated from $25,000 to $30,000.

The high tide also did much other damage at the beach. The electric lighting system was put out of commission when the high tension wires were swept away with the bridge.

Cottages were inundated and the snow piled up in huge drifts on the beach.

The street car service was suspended between Hampton and Seabrook Tuesday morning.

ACADEMY NOTES

Gilman N. Moulton

School began on Jan. 7 after the usual Christmas vacation.

A change in the schedule has been made. School now begins at 8:40 and by shortening the afternoon periods, closes at 1:30. The new schedule was made necessary owing to the recent change in car service.

There will be a Drama given by the Seniors in the future. Watch for further announcement.

At a meeting of the Athletic Association, Mr. Lyon was chosen manager of the Baseball Team; already one communication has been received regarding a game.

On last Saturday afternoon, the members of the Senior and Junior classes were most delightfully entertained at the residence of Miss Toppan, by the class teachers, Miss Greene and Miss Stenerwald. Several of the other teachers were present during the afternoon games were played, and a general good time was enjoyed by all.

On Friday evening Jan. 25, the Girls Glee Club of Hampton Academy assisted by Mr. Louis B. Hoffman, violinist of New Hampshire College will present a musical and entertainment followed by a dance at Hampton Town Hall. There will be vocal and violin solos, readings and a flag drill.

Admission will be twenty-five cents and dance tickets extra. The tickets will be on sale later. Music will be furnished by the New Hampshire College Trio. Don't forget the place Hampton Town Hall, Jan. 25, as this is to be the greatest musical event of the season. This will be for the benefit of the Red Cross.

OBITUARY

Mrs. Lydia A. Brown

Although it was known that Mrs. Brown had been gradually failing in health, yet she was apparently as well as usual when she retired on Saturday evening, but in a few hours she grew worse and on Sunday morning "Aunt Lydia" went to join her friends on the other side. She was "Aunt Lydia" to a host of friends, she was a woman of very strong character, and she was never afraid to lift her voice against anything that she considered wrong, no matter what others thought, or said. As long as she was able she was a faithful attendant at church and the Missionary Society, of which she was the last charter member, who has always retained her membership.

A faithful member of the W.C.T.U. she has always been a strong temperance worker; no one ever had any doubt of her principles.

Mrs. Brown was 88 years old last November, she was a good mother and leaves four children to mourn her loss. Mrs. Georgia A. Coffin of Hampton, Charles C. Brown of Amesbury, Mass., William B. Brown of Somerville and Edward P. Brown who has lived to make happy his mother's declining years.

To him, the sympathy of all his own and his mothers friends, is especially given, as, by her passing away, his home is left desolate and lonely.

The funeral services were held on Tuesday, a prayer at the house by Rev. W. H. Sterns, then services at the chapel in charge of Rev. J. A. Ross her old pastor and friend, and Rev. W. H. Stern. The flowers were very beautiful. It was a great disappointment to her many friends who could not attend the funeral service on account of the very bad storm, but "Aunt Lydia's" memory will long be kept green in the hearts of her friends.

Besides her four children Mrs. Brown left 8 grandchildren and one sister who will greatly miss her.

Weary with the journey of life she has gone to receive the reward given to those who are faithful to the end.

We are in receipt of an other obituary notice of "Aunt Lydia" which we will print next week.

Card of Thanks

We wish to express our sincere thanks to friends and neighbors for the many kindness shown in our bereavement, also for the beautiful floral tributes.

Mrs. Georgia Coffin and family
Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Brown and family
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Brown and family
Mr. Edward P. Brown

THE CHURCHES

Advent

The Pastor will speak Sunday A.M. on "Mans Crucifixion." The evening worship at 6:45 P.M. There will be special music at this service.

On account of a desire to conserve fuel the Wednesday evening service in the future will be held at cottages until an announcement is made of a change.

Baptist

Last Sunday was the second in the trip to Palestine. Both sides have reached New York and started across the Atlantic. The Reds are just a little ahead of the Blues but this may not be the case after next Sunday. It promises to be an interesting trip and somewhat exciting. It is hoped that every member of the crews will be at the post of duty each Sunday.

Sunday morning Jan. 27th, the pastor will tell the congregation about the valuable friend that will be glad to visit them fifty two times a year.

The next meeting of the Baptist Brotherhood Monday evening Jan. 28 at the vestry.

Congregational

All who braved the slippery walking of last Sunday morning were well repaid by the earnest discourse to which they listened. Especially were the children interested in the sermon-nette addressed to them, as was fully proven later in the Sunday school.

The newly-elected president of the Sunday School, Miss Mary Craig, accepted the position with a few well-chosen words. During the opening exercises several letters were read which had been received from different organizations in acknowledgement of help, which had been sent them from this School. Among them was one from the Syrian-Armenian Relief Association, expressing thanks for the receipt of nearly $38. from this church.

Thanks to Mr. Oliver Hobbs, a goodly number of ladies and gentlemen enjoyed a sleigh ride to the home of Mrs. Rebecca Leavitt last Thursday evening, where a most interesting and profitable prayer meeting was held. The meeting this week will be with Mr. and Mrs. Staples, the subject of which is to be, "Profiting by Life's Experiences."

Mrs. Warren's organized class was delightfully entertained at the Elmwood last Friday evening, with Miss Trefethen as hostess.

The subject of the Christian Endeavor meeting next Sunday evening will be "Reaching Outward," and the leader is to be Miss Ruth Hall.

NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE NEWS

Ice Wrecks "Mile Long" Bridge

Hampton -- Thousands of tons of four-foot ice piled up against the "mile-long toll bridge," one of the longest wooden bridges in the United States, and swept away 500 feet of it just after a party of eight winter sightseers had passed over it and while they were still near enough to see the collapse which, caused a loss estimated at $42,000. The bridge, owned by the Massachusetts Northeastern Street Railway company, is the only connection between Seabrook and Hampton beaches. The incoming tide broke up the ice in the Hampton river, the mouth of which is within 300 yards of the bridge, and the outgoing tide swept mountains of ice pounding against the structure weakening and soon carrying away 500 feet of it at the western end near Seabrook. The tracks of the Exeter and Hampton street railway were twisted and broken off when the ice jam broke through and the piles on which the structure rested were swept away. Employees of the railway company succeeded in anchoring much of the section torn away and preventing it from being swept out to sea.